but if i'm reading this this morning in memphis, tennessee, in pensacola, florida, i don't have a lot of confidence that progress is being made. if i'm a business owner or if i'm a voter or if i work for a large business anywhere in the country. that's what concerns me about this. >> i'm giving both sides the benefit of the doubt that they're going to make this deadline. i can't imagine they would want to make the faith in washington plunge even deeper than it already is. having said that, sam -- >> we're a step closer. >> -- check your notebook. tim geithner came to the table with something. where was the republicans? did they have something? >> this is richard's point which is that now that they have put this out there, i think the ball is in john boehner's court to say, okay, this is an absurd offer. here's something more practical. and you know, it's sort of a smart move politically, i guess, for the administration because spending cuts, entitlement reforms that you detail are inherently unpopular. and if you have to go and say we want to do x, y and z to medicaid and medicare, yo